The Shadow of the Fire
by Hitsumatsufan4eva
Summary: Watanabe Osamu is a Vigilante with a problem: he's in love with Sakaki Tarou, a second-in-command Captain of the Imperial Knights. Who also happens to be a man. That wants nothing to do with Watanabe. Can a guy get a break? Join Watanabe as he embarks on an adventure of friendship, love and understanding. (Eventual crossover characters)


**I joined the NaNoWriMo challenge in November and this was the result of my work. I had finished the 50,000 word count by day 21, but I forgot to verify the word count =_= Still, not bad for my first year! **

**I'm an avid lover of Prince of Tennis, and my favorite pairing is Sakaki/Watanabe, the coaches of Hyoutei and Shitenhouji. Why? I like opposite pairings. There's so much to do with polar opposites. **

**While Prince of Tennis sparked this fanfic, it's got more of a Tales series feel to it.  
**

**Not all of the characters belong to me. The others are creations from Prince of Tennis, Tales of Vesperia, and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen. **

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The world of Terra Luna is riddled with a dark history. When the Gods created this world, they created the Heavenly Beings, a powerful race capable of great magical feats. They loved the Heavenly Beings and cared for them as a parent would a child, teaching them the ways of the Gods and how to harness their powers. These beloved children soon populated the entire earth, living in harmony with their creators. While it seemed like peace would last an eternity, the inevitable truth – that all good things must come to an end- hit the planet in a way the Gods were unable to foresee. Over the span of many generations, the power of the Heavenly Beings matched those of the Gods, and they began to seek more. Their desire for power began to make them question the will of the Gods and they struck out against them, the world erupted into a great war that lasted for decades, plunging everything into darkness.

For a while it appeared as if the Heavenly Beings were going to win, due to the rumors of a mighty power coming into their possession that was certain to ensure their victory. Making one last stand, the Gods rallied together, mustering their strength to rid the world of the "evil" that had taken hold of the creatures they held so dear. Many Gods fell in the battle to reclaim the peace of the world, and as a result of their endeavors, they were able to wipe out most of the Heavenly Beings. The strongest and most dangerous of the Heavenly Beings were sentenced to the Void, a realm between worlds for the rest of time, never to be seen again. The rest were given mercy and life but driven into isolation, far from the eyes of the Gods.

Salvaging the dying planet, the Gods began anew with a new race to populate the earth, the humans. Fearful that the humans would betray them as well, the Gods did not grant them magical abilities. They told tales of the Great War that ravaged the planet and the Heavenly Beings (now dubbed as mages, stripped of their holy lineage) that fought against them. The humans, in their hasty creation, were not given the spirit of order, and grew to hate the mages. The mages struggled with their newly granted lives and grew bitter towards the humans, the favored beings of the Gods that they hated so much. Thus was the nature of the world today. Mages were outcasts, abominations of the Gods that knew nothing other than death and hatred, looked down upon whenever they showed their faces in public. For the most part, they remained isolated from the lands populated by humans, seething over the futures they were robbed of and swearing vengeance against the Gods.

The tension between the humans and mages through the ages only grows, skirmishes testing the fragile bonds of peace enveloping the land. The leaders of the world cannot help but sense the harbinger of greater conflict creeping up behind them. It is only a matter of time before the planet is once again consumed by war, and the Gods are no longer around to stand against the mages.

The Capital city of Ralaera stands in the heart of the northern continent, an illustrious city bustling with life and wealth. It is the center of all trade and the home of the Royal Family, as well as the headquarters of the Imperial Knights; strong, dedicated individuals who pledged their lives to protect the Royal Family and the citizens of the Capital. While the Capital stands united – for the most part – there is a considerable gap between classes. Nobles live close to the castle and the Imperial Knights' Headquarters and keep away from the lower class at the bottom of the city. In these lower parts, the part of peacekeeper comes in the form of Freelancers, individuals who – for the right price – will carry out specific tasks set by the requested party. Often these tasks clash with the ideals of the Imperial Knights so the two parties are not on the friendliest of terms.

Both get the job done, however.

Ralaera is home to the greatest number of Freelancers. Many of these Freelancers are wandering bounty hunters; others have lived there for quite some time, making their names known. At the bottom of the city, nestled between the bakery and the blacksmith, stands a small office building. Two floors high and in need of some repairs, the office does not have any clear markers that identify the place, so it is often passed without a second thought.

It is from this place that the adventure begins.

A young man sits alone on the second floor of the office turned home at the desk. Tall, with deep, walnut colored hair and tanned skin indicating he's spent much of his time outside, Watanabe Osamu of twenty-five years is normally a cheerful young man. Outside reflects his personality. Bright, sunny – everyone drawn to the warmth. But inside? Inside reflects his current mood.

Storm clouds. The young man is writing. He doesn't write with much thought, deciding to let his heart do all of the talking. That's what people say to do when they're writing a love letter. To be honest, Watanabe doesn't have a clue how to do these. When he was younger his mother used to scold him terribly at his lack of creative writing. Don't get it wrong, he has the kind of imagination that leaves people speechless.

But applying this imagination to paper? Everything he thinks and feels is lost in translation. It's frustrating, and he curses himself for putting himself in this situation to begin with. He has a pile of discarded ideas next to him and crumpled up papers on the floor for rejected ideas. His roommate is going to scold him later for making such a mess. But he wanted to get this out, at least _try_ to convey these feelings cramped deep within him.

This idea – his 27th today, seems to start better than the ones previous. His secretary and partner by profession and roommate by association isn't due back from her run yet, so he wants to get as much done before she returns. Heavens forbid she see him in such an embarrassing state.

Pushing brunette hair back, Watanabe takes a breath, stretches his arms out, and gets back to writing.

_Dear Captain Sakaki,_

_This may come off as extremely forward, but I'm in love with you .I admire you as an Imperial Knight for your courage, and as a person for your kindness. I have felt this way…for quite some time. You may not remember this, but the 12__th__ Brigade saved a small village on the outskirts of the Capital over four years ago from a group of dangerous mages. You saved a lot of people's lives that night. _

_Including mine._

_While I mean in the literal sense of saving me from being killed by bad mages, you also gave me hope. After I saw my mom die, I didn't think I could continue living her ideals, sharing her hopes to obtain peace in this world. Everything felt meaningless. The words you said that day changed my life and kept me moving forward. There are not enough words to express just how truly grateful I am to you. _

_Sure, you're uptight, high-and-mighty attitude pisses me off to no end at times, but you're a good, admirable person that works very hard for everyone. _

_I'm not asking ya to marry me, or even return these feelings. Hell you're probably thinking "as if" as you read this anyways. _

_Just…don't ignore me after this. I am perfectly capable of handling rejection. Ask my best friend. But isolation? Silence? No can do. _

"I don't know whether to be impressed or mortified by this." An amused voice breaks the unusual quiet of Watanabe's room, and the young man pulls papers over the letter he's been hard at work writing to keep the intruder from reading anything further.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?!" Watanabe asks, eyes turning to glare at a young woman.

"I did. You didn't answer, so I invited myself in." She explained. "Besides, why should I knock? We both live here." He briefly considers banning her from his home when he realizes she was more than capable of kicking his ass – and has been for the last ten years.

This friend of his, Azali Syria, is an optimistic, dedicated woman that works alongside him in his Jack-of-all-trades business. The term for their line of work is Freelancers, but Watanabe doesn't run the same type of operation, so they don't go by that name. He instead prefers the term Vigilantes. One can imagine why the two of them get into so much trouble with the Imperial Knights. Especially when Watanabe takes on the sorts of jobs that fall into the more…'questionable' categories.

While his friend is easy on the eyes – fairly tall, with a small frame and jade eyes set in pale, creamy skin – her hair is what vexes people the most. From the top of her head, transcending to her slim waist are locks of pure white hair, like snow. While people are drawn in by her kindness, the color of her hair frightens them and keeps them at bay, which has led to Watanabe turning down a number of well-paying jobs before things got ugly. Otherwise, she has to keep herself concealed the entire time and that can cause some finicky problems during missions.

Not that he blames her for any of this, no. But…it's a complicated business. She is a person with magical powers after all. The humans have a very hard time overlooking the fact she is mainly a white mage, one that specializes in helping people through healing powers. But the key word in this is '_mage_', and that's the word they'll latch onto, making it difficult for them to bother with anything more on that. It's frustrating at times, and Watanabe's been in many fights protecting Azali because she refuses to retaliate. It's frustrating because despite a group of mages attacking his home and killing his mother, he doesn't share in the natural scorn the others humans have. He has greater cause to hate them, but he doesn't, so what right did a majority of the human race have?

"Found a book in the market earlier. I don't think the man realized it was a spell book, so I got it relatively cheap. You can take a look at it if you want." Watanabe speaks up, trying to distract Azali long enough to hide his letter. She takes the proffered book and flips through a few pages and Watanabe breathes a silent sigh of relief that she has taken the distraction.

Mages, the beings born with magic in their blood, are able to bend and alter the elements to their will through the use of spell books. A long time ago, they were able to use spells without books, but that ability has been lost to them in modern times. So now, they channel their powers through spell books. Either way, those with these abilities are looked down upon – less than human they are referred as – and are avoided a majority of the time. After all, there are stories and legends about the betrayal of the mages. They are not to be trusted. And this distrust fuels the hatred between the two races now more than ever.

Watanabe understands that there are mages that use their powers to hurt others, which is where most of the resentment towards them comes from these days – but he also understands that not _every_ mage is evil, just as not every human is good. He's also aware that humans are feeble-minded and are scared of those that are different from them, awareness that he thanks his mother for instilling in him every day.

Even amongst the mages, Azali is different. In every bit of literature known to the people of the world, beings with white hair are considered taboo. To the humans, they are abominations. To the mages, they are considered cursed. No one knows why they are considered to be cursed, just that the Gods marked them differently from the rest to warn others.

Watanabe thinks it's all stupid. The books fed to the masses are written from a human point of view, supposed to be taken at their word because they 'conveyed the stories of the Gods and their ancestors.' Even the history written by the Gods themselves are self-glorifying, meant to keep the people worshiping them long after they returned to the heavens. He can't explain this to people and get them to understand. They have to be open to the idea, and with the way the Royal Family ran things….that wasn't going to happen. Then again, he's had a very different opinion and experience with mages for a long time now. So again, awareness he obtained from his incredibly smart mother.

He smiles to himself as he thinks about his mother. If it weren't for her, he would be a very different person, not nearly as optimistic and understanding. She was a woman that wanted to believe in the potential of the world. Because of her, he was such good friends with Azali now, due to the nature of their meeting and the way Watanabe had dealt with it. Watanabe finds himself smiling as he drags up another memory from his childhood.

Ten years ago, a young girl with white hair stumbled and fell into Watanabe's yard while he was playing outside. She was covered in blood, her clothes and hair a tattered mess. Everyone could tell the girl had taken a good look at death, well on her way to meeting it as a matter of fact. Because of her white hair, however, they were unwilling to help her. So when she'd fallen in Watanabe's yard, the people worried for the young man as his first instinct had been to help the girl instead of running away from her. The other people in the village were frightened and pleaded with Watanabe's mother to make the girl leave, because she was dangerous. His mother refused, and instead assumed full responsibility for the girl.

"_Remember when I told you about the beings that had magical powers? This girl is one of them. That's why the people think she's dangerous." His mother explained to him one day after the people in the village visited them again. _

"_So she's a mage…what is a mage doing all the way out here?" _

_The older woman shakes her head. "I don't know. However we are left with a choice. Do you want her to leave? Or should we take care of her?"_

"_Why are you asking me this?" Watanabe asks, tilting his head to the side. _

"_Because if you are not comfortable with this girl in our home, I'll have to figure out another way to help her."_

_He remembers clearly the uncertainty in her eyes. She says these things, but he can tell she really wants to help this girl. "Powers or no, when someone is in trouble we don't turn our backs on them. She can stay mom, I'm not scared."_

_She smiles. "That's my boy."_

Watanabe nursed her back to health with the help of his mother for a week and a half. Things were awkward the day she first opened her eyes. She wouldn't speak a word to either of them, flinched whenever they handed her food and remained in the back corner of the bed, as far from the two of them as she could get. It was almost a month before she said anything at all, but the first words out of her mouth….

"_Thank you."_

She was adamant to distrust him and the other humans in the village, but eventually…she warmed up to him. Shortly after the first month, she gave Watanabe her name, and offered to help his mother around the house. It was nearly a year before she stepped outside of their home, but by then, the people in the village knew she meant them no harm, and in no time at all she was one of them. It was then Azali called Watanabe a friend, and they have been attached at the hip ever since.

_However, t_hat didn't excuse her from sneaking into their office and prying her nose into his business.

"There are _more_ of these?" Azali inquires. Watanabe jerks out of his trip down memory lane and looks as she sifts through a stack of 'failure' letters that have crossed out words and crumpled up thoughts. So much for distracting her with the spell book.

"Hey, don't go sticking your nose into them! They're none of your business!"

"Why Osamu I didn't know you were such a closet romantic." Azali teases, moving out of reach of his desperate grabs. "What's this? _'You've created waves in my heart, as a stone casts ripples when it skips along the surface'"_

"Oh Gods just kill me now!" Watanabe screeches, his face a flourishing crimson as he face plants on the desk. He hears Azali's laughter in the distance but no longer has the will to stop her. He hears her sifting through several of the letters and he mentally prepares himself for whatever jabs she could possible throw at him next.

"You never told me you were smitten with Captain Sakaki." She remarked, taking him by surprise with the hidden accusation. As if reading his reaction, she places a hand on his head, combing through chestnut tresses with her fingers to calm him down.

"Well it's not exactly something I can bring up in normal conversation now can I? 'Hey how's it going Osamu?' Oh you know, did a tough job, spent time with friends, and didn't get thrown in jail this time, which is a definite plus. Hey by the way, I've fallen in love with the second-in-command of the Imperial Knights and he's a man." he says, sarcasm laced heavily in his words.

"I know very well he's a man." Is all she answers with, deflating Watanabe's mockery of the situation– of course she knows he's a man, they've had several run-ins with the Captain over the years.

Casting auburn eyes upward, Watanabe catches the look of hurt flit across her face. He doesn't think it's hurt caused from disappointment, he knows Azali would never judge him on who he falls in love with – hell she's been there to shake her head and help pick up the pieces with each failed relationship he's suffered so far. So it's not a matter of her disapproving of his choice. More that…he had a choice and he didn't tell her about it. After everything they had been through together: growing up in the small village, leaving to come to the Capital, and hard timing it until their business became successful. They had placed full trust in the other, sharing everything.

It was stupid of him to start keeping secrets now.

"I'm sorry Azali. It's just..."

"Complicated, I know. It's alright Osamu." The fair-haired woman says quietly, taking a seat on his bed and looking out the window. The accusation and hurt are no longer in her voice, so it really is alright. "How long have you felt this way?"

As he opens his mouth to reply, Watanabe finds that he's not exactly sure _when_ this started exactly. The Captain has passed through and offered a kind hand to the citizens of the Capital dozens of times during the years Watanabe lived there, so he has at least spoken with him on normal terms. And with the line of work he and Azali were involved in, they've encountered the Imperial Knights on a regular basis - on good terms and bad. After all, some jobs they performed could be considered a little sketchy - depending on whom you asked, and Sakaki was a man of the law. At first Watanabe was grateful to the man for saving his life. He would never forget how valiantly he fought against the mages and quickly restored peace. Watanabe had been full of mixed emotions that day. His mother had died but the courage Captain Sakaki showed inspired him to not dwell in despair. A good six months after Watanabe moved to the Capital ( a good six months involving being thrown in jail a few times and having shouting matches with the Imperial Knights) Watanabe had been caught stealing medical supplies from a warehouse in the royal quarters and was promptly thrown in jail for ten days. Despite having his reasons (which he very loudly made known to the Captain as he was being locked up), Sakaki informed him that no matter how good the reason, a crime was a crime and he would be punished in accordance to the law. The feelings of appreciation and awe quickly dissipated into annoyance and frustration that day.

Over the span of four years, Watanabe feels that the cycle of love and hate he experiences with the older man only grows in intensity.

"Since I met him I guess."

He knows that Azali won't say any more on it, although he can tell she's got a million thoughts running through her mind. She finds a way to come up with the answers all on her own, only stepping in when she worries Watanabe's gotten in over his head. And he hasn't yet; at least he doesn't think so, because until now he's been the only one to know about these feelings.

And they're just that - feelings. He has no intention of telling the other man, has no desire to ruin the unusual relationship the two share at this very moment (which was a good one if Watanabe remembers correctly. They had taken down a large amount of monsters lingering outside of the Capital recently and neither male yelled at each other. This was always an unusual but not unwelcome occurrence.)

Still, he can sit here and write these letters and pretend they're sharing this world of potential. One of these days he may have the courage to stand up, walk to the gates of the inner Capital, to the Imperial Knight's Headquarters, and ask the guard standing on duty to deliver it to Sakaki.

Wait….he'll ask the guard to call Sakaki out, and _Watanabe_ will deliver it personally.

Yea that's a day where he'll be expecting a black eye or even death to come upon him. Because as far as he knows, Sakaki just doesn't fall on his side of the fence – that is – the part of the fence that has romantic fantasies about other men.

As he sits there and mulls over thoughts she's never given him credit for being able to have, Azali notices that this is…well it's just different from the way Watanabe usually goes about pining over someone.

_This is serious…_ she thinks to herself, all of a sudden worried for her longtime friend.

Watanabe's a good man, and she'll argue that until the day she dies. He's rash and a little too forward but his heart is always in the right place. She's always admired that about him. Azali has seen him turn away high paying jobs if he thought something about it was wrong, or the person was a flat out creep. Then there were other times…when people would see her and they would get out of the room as soon as possible, and he would shout 'good riddance to bad rubbish!' after them.

Because in this world that they lived in, a person that was able to use magic was a just a freak of nature. Few of these magic users were accepted by society and they had to fight long and hard for the people's acceptance if they cared enough to have it. Azali has managed to find acceptance among most of the people in the Capital, but it was not an easy road. To make matters worse for the young woman, her white hair is a symbol of taboo, a harbinger of death to anyone that comes close to her. So if it wasn't her white hair that chased people away, it was her magical abilities. Before she'd met Watanabe, she honestly believed she was going to spend the rest of her days being hated and feared by everyone else. And she too would have grown to hate and fear everyone.

Azali smiles at her closest friend, still lost in thought. It was thanks to him that she was able to find a home in his village, have a job and see the world. He saved her all those years ago, so she's made it her personal mission to help him – no matter what he does – in order to thank him for his kindness.

"That's a long time to keep quiet about it." Azali finally ends up saying aloud, drawing the older man from his thoughts.

"I know, but what can ya do, yanno?" Watanabe rises to his feet, body all of a sudden raw and sore from sitting still for so long. A yawn escapes him as he stretches "Just don't…don't say anything ok? I don't plan on making a mess of anything." He says this but he knows she wouldn't go spilling his secrets.

"Of course. You make enough messes without me helping you out." She teases some more, standing up as well. "Anyways, I came to tell you that when I stopped by the tavern, the owner mentioned that he had a job for you."

Azali hands him a piece of paper. Watanabe doesn't bother to read it because Azali ends up briefing him on it anyways. This saves him time translating noble fancy talk. Watanabe always tells people she's the brains of the operation for this very purpose.

"There's a band of magic users attacking caravans along the road east of here, near a town called Totokanta."

"Raiders?"

Azali shakes her head sadly. "No, I'm afraid it's not as merciful as that. Several companies passing through have offered them money and items in exchange for safe passage but they insist they torture the people as much as possible before they kill them."

From the distant, almost angry look on Azali's face, Watanabe can sympathize with how she feels. While they both share the desire to protect those that cannot protect themselves, villains that end up being magic users strike a person note on Azali almost as much as Watanabe – and it's a fair disturbance. While she strives every day to find acceptance, and not let her lineage get in the way of living a normal life, there are those that will always find ways to abuse their powers. What happened to Watanabe's village is proof enough of that.

"Are we getting backup or do the Imperial Knights expect us to take them on alone?" Watanabe questions her, stifling another yawn. He should reconsider sitting still for too long if he's not going to end up catnapping. In many cases, when a request is made to the Freelancers, it is also sent to the Imperial Knights, in case the Freelancers decide it's not worth their time, or vice versa. Watanabe and Azali have ended up working alongside various Imperial Knights when both parties showed. Typically, the Freelancers will fight in the interest of money. The Imperial Knights enjoy meddling in the business. Watanabe doesn't care; he isn't going to let any of them have their own fun. He doesn't suspect they will _need_ the help per say, but it's still good to know.

"That I'm not sure. The owner said the request went to the Imperial Knights as well, but no news from them so far. I imagine that with the Commandant being ill, Captain Sakaki has his hands full making sure things run smoothly here in the Capital." Azali informs.

They leave their office/home after packing, Watanabe grabbing his knapsack and sword, walking through the streets on their way to the tavern. Azali doesn't bring much, only a small bag. She's always been known to travel light. It's not as if she really owned much to begin with, she's not as concerned with material effects like Watanabe is. The brunette simply claims _"You never know when a frying pan and a pair of sandals will come in handy." _

When they reach the tavern, they pull off to the side to have a private moment with the owner. He gives them a brief nod of acknowledgement and continues to serve the guests. They're not worried; he'll get to them when he's ready. Besides, on top of information, they hope to gain a method of transportation to Totokanta. Watanabe hasn't heard much about the place and their previous jobs have never taken them east. More than wanting to know about the new location, Watanabe has another matter burning at the back of his mind. "I didn't know that Commandant Jayda was sick…"

"I heard it from Hartia. He said that the Commandant returned to his hometown in order to recuperate. It's kind of hush-hush though. Only a few people actually know about it."

Watanabe looks at Azali in surprise. "And you got Hartia to tell you? I must say I never suspected you were the type to seduce information out of a smitten man."

"I did not seduce him. He told me of his own free will. I just happened to notice that things have been on a tighter leash as of late. The Commandant isn't nearly so strict on people." She doesn't bother to address the 'smitten man' comment because it's no secret to either of them that the man is in love with her.

Commander Hartia is an upstart member of the 12th Brigade, meaning he serves under Captain Sakaki as his right hand man. The Commander is tall and lanky in appearance, but can spar with the best of them, and has an appetite that competes with no other. They met him shortly after making the Capital their new home, and he immediately took to Azali, one of the few people in Azali's life that so readily accepted her despite her appearance. He means well but his doting comes across as excessive. Watanabe gets a kick out of it, much to Azali's dismay.

Like Azali, Hartia is a magic user, so he is also careful about those around him. The first time Watanabe had found this out, he was surprised. The Imperial Knights had a mage among them and they didn't think twice about it. Hartia had explained that that's just the way the Commandant runs things. He doesn't care whether one has magical abilities or not, they had a place with the Imperial Knights as long as they agreed to protect someone, no matter their race. Hartia chooses to keep his abilities secret on the base that people outside of the Imperial Knights might not accept him so readily. It just worked easier that way.

Hartia's magic range is strictly elemental, meaning he can only wield the Triad attributes – fire, wind, and ice, without a high degree of difficulty. However his preference is fire magic. Uniquely to Hartia, when he casts a spell, his hair ends up reflecting the first attribute used for a week. Watanabe teased him endlessly once when he had tried to use healing magic, an attribute he has been practicing lately, and ended up blonde for seven days. When he is hiding his abilities, Hartia chooses to wield a sword, and is remarkable with it. While he is a strong, capable soldier (has to be in order to serve in Sakaki's Brigade, the Special Task Force) he's a bit of a hyperactive spaz that loves reading comics on superheroes. He also professes his love for the white-haired woman on a regular basis.

Still, both Watanabe and Azali will admit that he's a good, fun guy to be around.

As long as he wasn't hitting on Azali the entire time.

When they finish talking the tavern owner makes his way over – he's a big, burly man – and meets the two of them with a big smile. "I knew you'd be acceptin' this one. I sent it to the Imperial Knights as well just in case they didn't get the first one but…seems like they're not interested. Means you'll be on your own."

_Even if he was too busy to go personally, I don't see Captain Sakaki brushing off something like this…_ Watanabe contemplates.

"I thought Hartia would have at least come if he wasn't too busy." Azali points out.

"Maybe he thought he was too good for the assignment." Watanabe dismisses with a shrug.

"Not true! It just took me longer than usual to pack! I have extra baggage with me this time."

"Well speak of the devil…" Watanabe exclaims, turning around to meet their red-headed colleague. "Hartia, how nice of you to join us!"

"If it weren't for certain circumstances, the Captain would be here instead. However he's a little busy, so he asked if I could go in his place. Seems like he knew you'd be going. Can't turn a blind eye to these things can you?" The Commander beamed, as if he figured out a big secret. "Ah, I forgot, I have someone else with me too. They're loading the wagon we acquired, so we'll be ready shortly."

They spend the next few minutes discussing the journey and what other items they may need. While the Imperial Knights and Freelancers – though, again, Watanabe doesn't want to be called Freelancers (and adamantly reminds everyone that calls them otherwise) - typically didn't get along, the brunette seemed to be a special case. Mainly because he didn't take orders from anyone, so he ended up fighting alongside the Imperial Knights in many situations when they discovered it was futile ordering him to withdraw. Over the last four years, they've learned to simply tolerate the other man's presence – some even coming to appreciate it - and have worked together with him on several jobs since, given Watanabe's fighting prowess on the battlefield. They won't deny he can be a valuable asset, and it doesn't hurt that wherever Watanabe goes, the gifted mage - with remarkable healing powers -follows.

"So this person you brought with you…are they cute?" Watanabe smirks, earning an eye roll from Azali. Hartia pauses before he answers "Depends on what you find cute. I personally find them boring, unattractive and a pain in the ass. Whenever they're around I feel myself getting a headache and I'm just filled with this frustration I never have to deal with when they're not around."

"Why Hartia it sounds like love." Watanabe teases.

"What?! No way, I don't find this person remotely attractive or pleasing enough! The only one I will ever love is Azali!" Hartia coos, eyes on the young woman.

"Ah…it's a guy." The brunette Vigilante deduces. Watanabe laughs at Hartia's expression, shaking his head.

"Wha-how do you figure they're a guy from what I said?" Hartia inquired, completely taken aback by the other man's bold statement.

"Because they're standing right behind you."

Hartia spins around so fast Watanabe's convinced he gave himself whiplash.

Hartia's traveling companion already exudes the air of mystery just by standing there. Wearing a long, dark robe instead of an Imperial Knights uniform, the other man – taller than Hartia and Watanabe – has deep, pastel golden eyes, the right one obscured by dark, almost midnight black hair. His pale skin leads the brunette to believe that he's not a typical Imperial Knight. Those guys get to see some sun. This man looks like he's inside all day long. Perhaps a consultant? Or a strategist?

"My name is Lai. I work in Intelligence under the Commandant as a strategist." Lai introduces himself, and Watanabe can't suppress the shudder that sneaks up on him. "Captain Sakaki believes that the situation doesn't require my services. I happen to disagree, from what I've been told about the two of you." he then looks at Hartia coldly. "Even if you were the last man on Terra Luna, I would never end up with you."

_Wow it feels like this guy just read my mind…_Watanabe wondered, eying the other man carefully. _And he definitely doesn't beat around the bush…_he adds, taken by surprise at the other man's brutal honesty. Lai may look fragile, but he's definitely not gentle.

"That's messed up Lai…" Hartia pouts. Lai gives Hartia an unapologetic glare. "You were less than kind in your description of me. I say we're even."

Before the situation grew too awkward, as having a team of three men was concerned, Azali stepped forth and addressed the enigma of a man. "My name is Azali, and this is Watanabe. I'm sure you know who we are already, but it gets formal introductions out of the way."

Watanabe gives Azali a pat on the head for smoothing over the situation with such finesse. When it comes to these sorts of things, she lets Watanabe handle it most of the time. His outgoing personality tends to put people at ease. Plus…there aren't many people that would take greetings from a mage, so she is hesitant to engage in them. But if the man was used to Hartia, and not shooting daggers at her, then the young woman felt it was safe for her to try. "I think we should consider leaving soon though. Totokanta is a bit of a way's away, and we shouldn't keep the poor citizens waiting." She concludes, earning nods from the rest of the company.

"Of course. My apologies." Lai says with a bow. "Hartia, help me finish loading the wagon." The look he gives Hartia leaves the red-headed Commander with little choice, and the two leave the tavern to make final preparations.

Watanabe looked at Azali, beaming. "Just like you to dispel a potentially bad encounter."

When she doesn't scold him for contributing, which would be the _normal_ thing for her to do, Watanabe eyes her carefully. "You ok?"

"There's something…unusual about that man. I don't sense any malice but…he is very powerful." Azali acknowledged.

"You think he's a mage like you and Hartia?"

"I'm not sure…maybe." She looks up at Watanabe and offers him a smile. "But it's nothing to worry about. He's on our side. Now come on, we have to get going."

"You're right, let's go." With a wave to the tavern owner, Watanabe and Azali walk outside to the wagon, where Hartia and Lai are waiting. Hartia is sitting in the back and Lai is at the reigns.

"Something tells me that I should be the one to navigate." Lai suggests which…isn't really a suggestion. It's a statement of fact and Watanabe doesn't want to figure out what Lai is capable of if even Azali can't deduce his abilities.

"Fair enough." Watanabe agrees in order to save face, lifting Azali up onto the wagon so she can sit next to Lai. Watanabe climbs in back with Hartia after tossing their belongings in with the supplies.

"Hey bugger off I want to sit next to Azali!" Hartia cries out, pouting as he pushes at Watanabe, getting the brunette a few times in the face.

"You want her to sit back here when she'd be more comfortable up there?" Watanabe asks, shaking his head in disappointment. The silence that ensues makes Watanabe smirk.

_Yea I won. Stupid Hartia._

"I'm glad there's at least one sane person on this trip." Lai says aloud before the horses start off and the wagon heads down the road. Although Azali sits next to him in silence, it doesn't feel uncomfortable. And Lai may have been a little brazen earlier, but that appears to be his personality in general. Lai shows no signs of concern or fear towards the person next to him, which puts her at ease as well.

Thankfully, with Lai there it kept the other two from driving.


End file.
